ATLANTA– ATLANTA (AP) — Record warmth this winter fueled a deadly tornado outbreak in parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas in March. Then tornadoes killed several people and injured at least 35 others in Iowa. Recent twisters have struck even places unaccustomed to them, such as one near Los Angeles in 2023, tearing apart roofs and injuring one person.
When a tornado targets your home and the sirens are sounding, the dogs are barking and the children are screaming, there are some last-minute precautions that can save the lives of you and your loved ones.
But experts also recommend a few simple steps to prepare before the twister rolls around. Here are some tornado safety tips:
Weather radios, specialized receivers that receive warnings and can sound the alarm in an emergency, are something every home and business should have, said Rick Smith, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service forecast office in Norman, Oklahoma.
“It feels like old-fashioned technology, but they are life-saving devices,” Smith said.
Radios can be especially valuable in the South, where many tornadoes strike at night when people are sleeping. “This can cause the alarm to wake you up in the middle of the night,” Smith said.
The National Weather Service encourages people to get alerted in multiple ways, including weather radios, a cell phone app or some other method in case the power goes out. Redundancy of methods is key, Smith said.
The ideal places for shelter are enclosed, underground shelters and basements, or a secure above-ground area designed to withstand tornadic winds.
But many people don’t have that option. In Oklahoma, for example, the clay soil makes building basements expensive, so many homes don’t have them.
If you need to be above ground during a tornado, “your goal is to put as many walls and barriers between you and the outside world as possible,” Smith said.
Smith recommends using mattresses, couch cushions, or other sturdy objects to protect yourself from deadly flying or falling debris. Bicycle or sports helmets can provide crucial head protection, and they can be stored in a convenient place instead of a common misconception: “There are still people who think you have to open the doors and windows to equalize the pressure. busy,” said Smith.
It’s also important to have them ready when you only have a few minutes or seconds to prepare. A car seat can help protect a small child, Smith says, and can be brought in ahead of time.
Recent research has shown that closing your home’s garage door and all interior doors can somewhat alleviate high winds by compartmentalizing them, Smith said. This is recommended during thunderstorms and tornadoes by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.
That’s the opposite of a common misconception: “There are still people who think you have to open the doors and windows to equalize the pressure,” Smith said.
It’s also important to prepare for the aftermath of the tornado, when you emerge from a home or shelter to find downed trees, power lines and torn buildings. Dress for disasters, such as wearing long pants and sturdy shoes, to make it easier to safely navigate the treacherous terrain.
An emergency kit with essentials such as drinking water and non-perishable food is also a good idea.
With the threat of strong tornadoes again in the forecast for Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas on Saturday, the weather service urged people to have emergency supplies, know where their safe places are and have a family communication plan.
Smith expects to answer questions about how to find shelter while driving as the trailer for the upcoming Hollywood film “Twisters” shows the characters sprinting toward a highway underpass as a tornado approaches.
If you’re in a car or truck, “you really don’t have a lot of good options at that point,” Smith said. “Try not to get into that situation.”
The best thing you can do is get off the road and try to find a building. If you have nowhere to go, there are no guaranteed safe options.
When it comes to ditches, overpasses or spending the night in a car, “People have survived doing all this, people have died doing all that,” Smith said. “I’ve seen cars roll up into unrecognizable metal balls.”